Advocating for my Child

Recently, I saw a writing contest that asks the question "When did you first understand the meaning of love?". This is an interesting question for adoptive parents, as for many of us, coming to love our children - especially those adopted as older kids-is a process with many layers. We love the idea of them while they are waiting for us, we love watching the transformation from orphan to loved child, we love them as we develop a relationship with them. One day - we find that we love them with a ferociousness and we feel we have arrived at the true parent/child love relationship.

I am there.

It's Ferocious. 

It's rearing its head with a lion's roar and a focus of a momma bear getting food for her child. 

As some of you know, we are in a dispute with our school district about Katie's goals and placement. Without going into the (somewhat ugly) details, we believe our child is capable of so much more than they are offering. We believe that she was damaged by her time in an orphanage in China, requiring more nurturing and compassion and tenderness in her teaching. We believe she deserves to be encouraged and challenged and educated. They believe that using stalling tactics and foot dragging to hold her back in a class that is beneath her is the right path for her. 

I believe that God knew exactly what we would be facing - and He is using this challenge to draw us closer to our child - building that parent/child relationship in a way that perhaps only adversity can. I believe that He is calling on us to advocate for her - to fight the fight that no one fought for her for 4 years in China. I believe He has equipped us with resources and people to help us. 

My Child spent 4 years suffering from decisions adults made that were best for them - I will not stand by and allow MY child's needs be second to the needs of teachers egos, administrations or bureaucratic nonsense. 

She is MY child- and I believe in her. 

I will fight to get her what she needs - today, tomorrow and the day after that.